Building Movement at the U.S. Social Forum (North Star Fund)

Another world is possible.

Photograph courtesty of
AFSC/Life Over Debt Program

Last month in Atlanta, over 9,000 people gathered under the idea that if another world is possible, another U.S. is necessary. The United States Social Forum went for five days, from June 27 to July 1, bringing together representatives from every corner of the social justice movement to network and explore ways of organizing across issues. North Star Fund gave 12 grants totaling $20,000 to support the attendance of representatives from 29 New York City grassroots social justice organizations.

The U.S. Social Forum sought to link local efforts, and groups that North Star Fund supports did that very successfully. Members of the Grassroots Literacy Coalition lead a workshop entitled, "The Fight to End Illiteracy in the US" that brought together grassroots education equity organizers for their first-ever face-to-face conversations. Domestic Workers United, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, and Damayan—all groups with which North Star Fund has strong relationships—met with other domestic workers organizing groups from across the country to launch an exciting new national domestic workers alliance.

To keep the energy up and the networks alive, local grassroots organizing needs to be supported. The challenge is making that support both strategic and accountable. North Star Fund ally Resource Generation (RG), lead two workshops on giving and grantmaking for social justice. Usually RG workshops attendees only include young people of financial wealth. Their workshops at the U.S. Social Forum workshops were open to all, which was both challenging and ground-breaking. Maggie Williams, who is on staff at Voter Enfranchisement Project and a board member of Resource Generation, attended. She says, “It was critical to have a dialogue in a cross-class environment defining what real social change is, and how individuals and institutions can engage in philanthropy in ways that strengthen and support the work instead of detracting from it.”

These are the groups to which North Star Fund provided assistance to attend the U.S. Social Forum.

Collaborations	Partnering Groups
Movement Resource Initiative	Audre Lorde Project, Brotherhood/Sistersol, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), Domestic Workers United, FIERCE, Families United for Economic Empowerment (FUREE), Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN)
Voter Enfranchisement Project	SisterFire, Sista II Sista (SIIS), Regeneration Circle, Center for Immigrant Families, Kitchen Table Collective, Pachamama, Critical Resistance, Community Birthing Project, Lil Maroons, Harm Free Zone, Mothers on the Move
Mothers on the Move	Mothers on the Move, Casa Atabex

Individual Groups

Make the Road by Walking
Community Voices Heard
Movimiento Por Justicia Del Barrio
Paper Tiger Television
Grassroots Literacy Coalition
Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

Home